Raw & Real

"If the product is good, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to have rare pork."

I can't remember which chef I heard say this, or if I read it somewhere. But when I came across it, I can remember feeling like I had discovered something *important*. It just made sense, after all- and I am the self-proclaimed Queen of Rare. I adore steaks and tunas to be raw in the middle. I can actually taste the meat then. And sushi was just a given- of course you should eat that raw, that is a connection with the ocean that is about as intimate as a human being can possibly get. But why didn't I link the idea that, maybe I liked all that stuff fresh and raw because it was good? Good product, raised or captured well, and served with respect to what it was?

Maybe that's why I haven't been as much of a fan of pork or duck. When I tried those back when I was younger, they were rubbery, overdone, and overall over seasoned- I couldn't taste what they should be. I had never really tried them at all, in that sense. It's an idea worth revisiting.

This isn't to say that there isn't a reason for cooking meats. Historically, we've had to to ensure our gastrointestinal safety. We have all seen the warnings at the bottom of restaurant menus: "Eating raw or undercooked meats and eggs may cause you to spend inordinate amounts of time in your bathroom, praying to any deity that will have you"- or something like that, anyway. But, what if we didn't need those warnings anymore? What if we knew, 100%, that what we were eating wouldn't infect us with the animal plague of the week? How cool would that be? I don't recommend a completely raw diet, as raw dieters could be considered as annoying, if not more so, than vegans; but a little fleshy tender bits every so often couldn't kill us.

I tried raw duck yesterday. It was delicious. And I can't wait to try it again!